Myanmar 'still holding 33 political prisoners'
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Thirty-three political prisoners remain in jail and seven others are on trial under Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law despite the government's promise to release all political prisoners by the end of last year, said a member of the Re
RPPSC member Ye Aung released the information during a meeting between Murray Hiebert, deputy director of the US-based Centre for Strategic International Studies, and former political prisoners in Yangon.
Of those 33 political prisoners, he said, three – including a naval captain – were imprisoned in accordance with the Armed Forces Act for posting the plight of lower-level servicemen on the Internet while they were serving in the navy. Captain Nay Lin Dwe was sentenced to 20 years in jail and the two others to seven years, he said.
He added that the political prisoners also include 20 from ethnic minorities and some members of the All Burma Students Democratic Front.
Hiebert said this news contradicted the deputy information minister’s December 31 declaration that there were no remaining political prisoners.
Ye Aung replied that those from ethnic armed groups who were still behind bars were jailed for other offences, although they had been included in the latest presidential pardon related to political offences.
Meanwhile, he added, the jailed servicemen were supposed to remain incarcerated under the military act. “It is not the duty of the deputy information minister to say whether or not political prisoners remain in jail. It is the duty of the RPPSC. We [the committee] confirm that they are still behind bars.”
